Are you thinking of treating yourself to a brand-new Rolls-Royce motor car, complete with bespoke options? You are? Wonderful. You'll need to come for a visit here, then.
Rolls-Royce Motors Cars Auckland has opened a new luxury showroom in Newmarket, substantially increasing its footprint and presence in a very automotively posh part of the city.
Formerly located in a relatively modest space on the corner of Great South Road and Margot Street, R-R has expanded through the same building (politely asking BMW used cars to vacate) to create a 3-car showroom that's double the size, with a whole lot of street presence. including a very impressive light show that turns on at night.
The new facility brings the Auckland operation in line with the marque's new global corporate identity: through the Pantheon grille-inspired doors there's an "immersive experience" designed to "captivate a younger, self-made and uniquely individual clientele".
Scoff at the mention of youth if you must, but R-R probably has one of the youngest buyer average-ages of any car brand in NZ: just 43.
And there's purple, lots of purple, which has been a key part of R-R's corporate identity for a few years now. You might remember the purple Spectre EV we reviewed last year.
In the lounge and waiting area, just behind the comfy chairs (purple), glass coffee table (purple) and sumptuous mat (purple), there's the Cabinet of Curiosities: a feature of R-R showrooms globally where locally relevant (uniquely Kiwi in this case) artworks, books and design items are displayed.
In one corner of the showroom, a kinetic light sculpture raises and lowers to frame whichever car is on display (tailored to the shape of that car, of course).
Through glass doors there's a speakeasy-style bar, and nestled beyond that in a private space is the Bespoke Commissioning Atelier: the room where clients go to view and select the colours and materials for their cars from a bewildering array of tactile displays. It's not about computer-screen configuration: the room is full of physical samples.
On display for the launch of the new showroom are two of R-R's latest models: the Black Badge Spectre and Ghost Series II V12.
Black Badge is the ultimate version of the Spectre, R-R's first EV. It's the most powerful model in the marque's history, with up to 485kW/1075Nm. It offers an Infinity Mode (for full power) and even Sprited Mode - launch control by any other name - to reach 100km/h in 4.1 seconds.
Meanwhile, R-R claims the Ghost Series II is the most advanced and driver-focused V12-powered it has ever produced.
Right from the start in 2009, Ghost attracted younger buyers who wanted to personalise the car more and more; buyers of the second-generation model, launched in 2020 and updated with the Series III last year, spend an average 10% of the purchase price on Bespoke equipment.